Refiner plates



C. K. TEXTOR REFINER PLATES Sept. 22, 1964 INVENT CZ/A/T'OA/ A. T 1? Filed Jan. 22, 1962 mmm United States Patent 3,149,792. REFINER PLATES Clinton K. Textor, Springfield, Ohio, assignor to The Bauer Bros. Co., Springfield, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Jan. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 167,626

4 Claims. (Cl. 241-260) This invention relates to improvements in pulp refiner plates. Embodiments are particularly advantageous in application to producing groundwood from chips and will be so described. They provide a more effective refining procedure than plates of the prior art. At a minimum, they produce a groundwood having the same physical properties as other groundwood but its production requires only about 75% as much horsepower as customarily required. Moreover, the pulp resulting has a generally improved quality and enables the production of a smooth paper having better printability It is contemplated that the refiner plates of the invention be conventionally formed in uniformly arcuate segments to circularly mount to and provide the operating face of a refiner disc. However, their shape obviously need not be so limited. In a preferred form they include novelly oriented bar-like teeth arranged in relatively adjacent coextensive uniformly arcuate concentric zones or bands, the teeth in adjacent zones having a similar but opposite slant. The teeth are so formed and oriented to provide grooves therebetween, successive sections of which are relatively offset and oppositely inclined to afford tortuous paths from the inner to the outer periphery of an operating face of a refiner disc.

The invention contemplates both right and left hand plates wherein the teeth are arranged in identical bands but oppositely inclined. In this manner it is enabled that when the right and left hand plates respectively mount to the adjacent opposite faces of opposed relatively rotatable refiner discs, the teeth of the respective plates will relatively coincide.

The invention as above described affords a uniquely advantageous refining procedure which will be more fully appreciated from the following description of an illustrative embodiment.

A primary object of the invention is to provide improvements in refiner plates rendering them economical to fabricate, more efiicient and satisfactory in use, adaptable to a wide variety of applications and easy to maintain.

Another object of the invention is to provide improvements in refiner plates rendering them particularly advantageous in producing groundwood from chips.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved pulp refiner plate facilitating the production of pulp with a minimal power cost.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a refiner plate having teeth novelly oriented thereon, the use of which enables an improved pulp refining procedure.

Another object of the invention is to provide improvements in refiner plates enabling improved quality products at lower unit cost.

A further object of the invention is to enable improve ments in pulp refining equipment.

A further object of the invention is to provide pulp refiner plates posessing the advantageous structural fea- "Ice tures, the inherent meritorious characteristics and the mode of operation herein mentioned.

With the above and other incidental object in View as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention intended to be protected by Letters Patent consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof, and the mode of operation as hereinafter described or illustrated in the accompanying drawings, or their equivalents.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein is shown one but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the operating face of a plate segment in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a pair of relatively rotatable discs embodying the invention.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

The invention can be best described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The plate segment shown includes a base 1 the back of which is formed to include conventional balance pockets and suitable recesses by means of which it may be attached to the operating face of a refiner disc. The base 1 is suitably bevelled at the inner peripheral or entrance portion 3 of its operating face 2. At the center of the portion 3 is an aperture 4. The aperture 4 accommodates a plow bolt to fix the segment to the refiner disc to which it mounts. A pair of radially oriented channel bars 5 project from the face of the entrance portion 3, equally spaced to either side of the bolt aperture 4.

The plate segment illustrated includes three uniformly arcuate, generally coextensive relatively concentric bands of zones 6, 7 and 8 of uniformly projected bar-like teeth positioned in following relation from the inner peripheral portion 3 to the outer periphery of the operating face 2. The zone 6, which is immediately adjacent and coextensive with the portion 3, include teeth 9 defined by barlike projections oriented to extend generally from the inner towards the outer periphery of the segment. Noting FIG. 1 of the drawings, teeth 9 bridge the zone 6 but are oriented at a slant, in generally clockwise inclination, rather than radially. The teeth 9 define grooves 10 therebetween, the adjacent sides of which are parallel.

Bar-like teeth 11 project from the operating face 2 in the zone 7 immediately following the zone 6. The teeth 11 are oriented to bridge the zone 7 similarly but slanted oppositely to the teeth 9. Teeth 11 are greater in number and smaller in width than the teeth 9 and define grooves 12 therebetween the sides of which are parallel. Grooves 12 have a width preferably about two-thirds the width of the grooves 10.

Teeth 13 project from the operating face 2 in its outermost peripheral zone 8. These teeth are slanted in the same general direction as the teeth 9 but have a lesser inclination. They are greater in number than the teeth 11 and define grooves 14 therebetween the sides of which are parallel. The width of the grooves 14 is preferably equal to the width of the grooves 12. However, the teeth 13, as shown, are generally slightly smaller in a lateral sense than the teeth 11.

It may be seen with reference to the preceding description that the relative size and orientation of the teeth in the respective zones or bands 6, 7 and 8 establish a relative offset of both the teeth in adjacent zones and the grooves therebetween. This provides that the grooves 14) in the first zone 6 respectively communicate with one or more grooves 12 in the following zone '7', the latter of which are oppositely inclined and have their entrainces generally offset in respect to the exits from the associated grooves 10. Similarly, the entrances to the grooves 14 are in the main offset from the exits from the grooves 12 with which they communicate. Moreover, the grooves 14 are inclined oppositely to the grooves 12. This establishes that the grooves 10, 12 and 14 which communicate provide tortuous paths from the inner to the outer periphery of a plate segment, following sections of which angularly and oppositely incline. In addition, the groove sections in the outermost zones 7 and 8 become lesser in width than the grooves It) in the innermost zone 6. A further feature to be noted is that the exit from a goodly portion of the grooves in one zone to grooves in an adjacent zone is partially blocked by relatively offset ends of teeth in the adjacent zone.

Conventional peripheral projections 15 are provided in circularly spaced relation on the outer periphery of the base ll. Details are not set forth since they are not essential to the present invention.

As previously noted, a series of plate segments, as shown, circularly mount to the operating face of a refiner disc, generally coextensive therewith. In this manner the operating face of the disc is provided with concentric bands of projected barlike teeth, in following relation from its inner to its outer periphery, the teeth in adjacent bands or zones being oppositely slanted and defining grooves therebetween of a size and character and relatively offset in the manner above described. A series of similar plate segments will similarly mount to the operating face of an opposite relatively rotatable refiner disc D, the segments being identical in form with that described save that the teeth in the respective zones are identically but oppositely inclined. Thus, in accordance with the invention, it is contemplated that opposed relatively rotatable discs D be provided with similar refiner plates having projected bar-like teeth so oriented to coincide. Note FIG. 3 of the drawings in this respect.

As conventionally employed, relatively rotating refiner disc assemblies are arranged to have their operating surfaces directly opposed and in closely adjacent relation. Stock is moved through the center of one of the discs in a fluid vehicle and thereby caused to move radially outward between the opposed surfaces, their projected teeth, and through the grooves therebetween. In the present instance, stock is preliminarily channelled between bars as it moves over the inner peripheral bands 3 of the relatively rotating discs to pass into the entrances to the grooves 10 between the teeth 9. The inclination of the grooves It) is such to provide a diverted flow of the stock and thereby delay its movement outwardly between the opposed relatively rotating plate segments. In the process of the flow diversion, a turbulence is created in the stock causing the chips therein to constantly move to the outermost surfaces of the bar-like teeth 9 of the zone 6. The teeth 9 of the directly opposed, relatively rotating discs are so closely adjacent as to wipe each other in passing and thereby constantly act to defiberize the chips moving up to their outermost surfaces. When the flow approaches the grooves 12 in the zone 7, a further restraining infiuence occurs due to several factors. One factor is the sudden reversal in the angle of flow as the stock enters the grooves 12. Another is that the difference and offset of the teeth 11 in zone 7 causes ends thereof to lie in partially blocking relation to flow from the grooves 14) and to impede the flow in a manner believed obvious. It should be apparent that the staged angular diversion of stock flow in the various zones of teeth which are variously angled achieves the effect of dams between the teeth without danger of undesirable wear patterns as normally occur in teeth of plates having dams or ribs therebetween, at right angles thereto. An additional factor is the reduction in width of the grooves in zones 7 and 8 in comparison to those in zone 6. Further, when the flow moves from the grooves 12 to the grooves 14, there is a further and similar flow retarding effect induced by the opposite inclination of the teeth 13 and a turbulence in the flow to cause chips to move up to the cutting edges of the opposed teeth for maximum defiberization. A retarding effect is also available where end portions of offset teeth 13 partially block certain of the exits from the grooves 12.

As may be seen with reference to the drawings, the peripheral discharge from between the relatively rotating discs is angular, facilitating uniformity thereof and diminishing the danger of direct rebound of the refined ma terial from a refiner housing which might interfere with a smooth discharge.

The net effect of the invention improvements is to not only prevent undue wear of the refiner plates and provide them with an increased life expectancy but also to enable a better refining operation with a much lower power input than normally anticipated. The use of teeth in bands as designed in accordance with the invention and so applied to relatively opposed relatively rotating plates as to coincide in a static condition seems to be an additional factor in deriving an improved pulp product of a higher quality than would be normally anticipated with a particular stock.

Thus, the invention embodiments are highly advantageous in having simple means for effecting tortuous paths for stock moving between relatively rotating plates, successive sections of which are oppositely inclined and relatively offset to a slight degree. The result is an increase in the refining interval and the exposure of the chips to a greater incidence of defiberization in passage producing a quality pulp.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a device of the character described possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts Without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific features shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprise but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A refiner unit comprising, a base plate means having bar-like projections at one face, said projections being grouped in at least three generally coextensive bands, the projections in adjacent bands being relatively inclined and offset, the inclination of the projections in the inner and outer bands being in the same direction but the inclination of those in the outer of said bands being less than that of those in the inner.

2. A refiner unit comprising, a base plate having teeth projected from one face arranged in generally coextensive adjacent groups and positioned in following relatively offset relation from it outer periphery, the teeth in each group defining channels therebetween the sides of which are generally parallel and the teeth in adjacent of said groups having a relative inclination, the inclination of the teeth in the outer of said groups being less than that of those in the inner.

3. Refiner apparatus comprising, a pair of relatively rotatable plates having concentric groups of bar-like teeth projected in opposed relatively wiping relation, the teeth in the respective groups generally differing in width and defining grooves therebetween the sides of which are parallel, the grooves defined by the outermost of said groups being of lesser width than the grooves defined by the innermost of said groups and the teeth in adjacent groups being angularly inclined and generally ofiset to provide tortuous flow paths between said plates successive sections of which are parallel.

4. Refiner apparatus comprising a pair of relatively rotatable plates having concentric bands of relatively projected bar-like teeth adapted to coincide, said teeth projecting in opposed relatively wiping relation and being elongated and inclined to the respective peripheries of said plates, the teeth adjacent the outer peripheries of said plates being so arranged to have a lesser inclination than the teeth at the inner portions of said plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A REFINER UNIT COMPRISING, A BASE PLATE MEANS HAVING BAR-LIKE PROJECTIONS AT ONE FACE, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING GROUPED IN AT LEAST THREE GENERALLY COEXTENSIVE BANDS, THE PROJECTIONS IN ADJACENT BANDS BEING RELATIVELY INCLINED AND OFFSET, THE INCLINATION OF THE PROJECTIONS IN THE INNER AND OUTER BANDS BEING IN THE SAME DIRECTION BUT THE INCLINATION OF THOSE IN THE OUTER OF SAID BANDS BEING LESS THAN THAT OF THOSE IN THE INNER. 